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Guide to the Papers of Ida Kay Compton

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Born 14 June 1917, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts; graduate student at Williams College; worked in the college bookstore.

In 1947, Ida Kay met Sinclair Lewis and began a personal friendship that lasted until his death in 1951.

Ida Kay married Charles Compton in 1953; she died 22 September 1985, in Bradenton, Florida.

The Ida Kay Compton Papers were donated to St. Cloud State University by the Estate of Ida Compton in 1986.

BOX 1

Folder

  1. Guide to the Papers of Ida Kay Compton.
  2. Correspondence, 1965- .
    Between St. Cloud State University, and Ida L. Compton or Charles Compton.
  3. Inventories.
    1. "Letters from Sinclair Lewis to Ida Compton ..." Prepared by Charles Compton (?).
    2. Changes to item 3a as inventoried by St. Cloud State University; 28 January 1987.
    3. "To Sauk Centre." Prepared by Charles Compton (?).
  4. Letters from Sinclair Lewis to Ida Kay.
    1. 1947
      • St. Paul, Minnesota, 5 Oct. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • St. Paul, Minnesota, 5 Nov. T.L.S. 1 leaf
    2. 1948
      • Rome, 21 Nov. T.L.S. 2 pages
    3. 1949
      • Florence, 2 Jan. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • Florence, 18 Jan. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • Florence, 11 Feb. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • Florence, 3 Mar. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • Venice, 19 Mar. T.L.S. 1 page
      • Paris, 26 Oct. A.L.S. 4 pages
      • Florence, 5 Dec. T.L.S. 1 page
      • Florence, 28 Dec. T.L. 2 pages
    4. 1950
      • Florence, 10 Jan. T.L.S. 1 page
      • Florence, 1 Feb. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • Florence, 1 Mar. T.L.S. 2 pages
      • Florence, 10 Apr. A.L.S. 2 pages
      • Florence, 11 May A.L.S. 1 page
      • Switzerland ?, 30 June A.L.S. 1 page
      • (Zurich ?), 19 July? Telegram
      • Turin, 19 Aug. A.L.S. 1 page
  5. Letters from Alec Manson; secretary to Sinclair Lewis, 1950-1951; to Ida Kay.
    • Letters concern Ida Kay's trip to Europe.
      • Florence, 21 April 1950 T.L.S. 1 page
      • Zurich, 9 July 1950 T.L.S. 1 page
  6. Letters concerning real estate.
    1. Florence, 28 July 1950 copies 1 page
      Copies (?) of letters from Sinclair Lewis to "Dear San," and "Dear Mel," re the selling of Thorvale Farm.
    2. Letters from Melville Cane, attorney, to Ida Kay.
      • New York, 15 Sept. 1950 T.L.S. 1 page
      • New York, 18 Oct. 1950 T.L.S. 1 page
      • New York, 17 Jan. 1951 T.L.S. 1 page
    1. Letters from Claude B. and Helen Lewis to Ida Kay Compton.
      • 10 Nov. 1950 A.L.S. C.B. Lewis 2 pages
      • 6 Dec. 1950 A.L.S. C.B. Lewis 1 page
      • 3 Jan. 1951 A.L.S. C.B. Lewis 1 page
      • Telegram received 2 January enclosed: "Hal taken nursing home ... Alec."
      • 6 Jan. 1951 A.L.S. C.B. Lewis 1 page
        Includes typed copy of Jan. 5 telegram reporting on Sinclair Lewis' condition.
      • 15 Jan. 1951 A.L.S. C.B. Lewis 2 pages
      • 20 Jan. 1951 A.L.S. C.B. Lewis 2 pages
      • 2 Feb. 1951 A.L.S. Claude 2 pages
      • 12 Feb. 1951 A.L.S. Helen, Claude 4 pages
      • 12 Mar. 1951 A.L.S. Helen, Claude 4 pages
      • 30 Oct. 1951 T.L.S. Helen, C.B. 1 page
      • 17 Jan. 1952 T.L.S. Helen 2 pages
      • 15 Nov. 1952 A.L.S. Helen, Claude 2 pages
      • 28 Dec. 1952 T.L.S. Helen 1 page
      • (undated) A.L.S. C.B. 1 page
      • 12 July 1953 T.L.S. Helen 1 page
      • 14 Nov. 1956 A.L.S. Helen, Claude 2 pages
      • 17 May 1970 T.L.S. Helen Lewis 1 page
      • 15 Feb. 1973 T.L.S. Helen Lewis 2 pages
      • 21 April 1973 T.L.S. HAL 2 pages
    2. Letters of condolence to C. B. Lewis.
      • 29 Jan. 1951 T.L.S. Laura Benet 2 pages
      • 30 Jan. 1951 T.L.S. Earl A. Blackman 1 page
  8. Correspondence with Mark Schorer.
    • 14 Jan. 1954 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 3 Feb. 1954 T.L.S. to Mark Schorer Unsigned typescript. 1 page
    • 19 Feb. 1954 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 11 April 1954 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 2 pages
    • 23 June 1954 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 11 Aug. 1954 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 25 July 1954 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 27 Apr. 1959 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 25 Mar. 1960 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 2 pages
    • 20 Apr. 1960 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 2 pages
    • 9 Mar. 1961 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 22 Apr. 1961 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
    • 22 Nov. 1961 T.L.S. Mark Schorer 1 page
  9. Other correspondence.
    1. Horace Cayton.
      • 30 Nov. 1960 T.L.S. Horace 1 page
      • 27 Dec. 1961 T.L.S. Horace 1 page
      • 4 Apr. 1962 T.L.S. Horace 2 leaves
    2. Bennett Cerf, President, Random House.
      • Ida Compton to B. Cerf.
        • ? Jan. 1960 T.L. carbon 1 page
        • ? Feb. 1960 T.L. carbon 1 page
      • B. Cerf to Ida Compton.
        • 29 Mar. 1954 T.L.S. Bennett 1 page
        • 27 Jan. 1960 T.L.S. Bennett 1 page
        • 27 Jan. 1960 T.L. to Mrs. Helen Lewis 1 page
    3. Harry E. Maule, Editor, Random House.
      • 7 Feb. 1951 T.L.S. Harry 2 leaves
      • 8 Feb. 1951 T.L.S. Harry 1 page
      • 15 Jan. 1953 T.L.S. Harry 1 page
      • 26 Feb. 1954 T.L.S. Harry 2 leaves
      • 17 Oct. 1956 T.L.S. Harry 1 page
      • 19 Feb. 1960 T.L.S. Harry 2 leaves
      • 26 Feb. 1960 T.L.S. Harry 2 leaves
      • Barnaby Conrad.
        • 2 Feb. 1951 T.L.S. Barnaby 2 2 pages
        • 17 Aug. 1951 T.L.S. Barnaby 2 2 pages
        • 15 Mar. 1978 A.L.S. B 2 pages
        • 20 May 1985 A.L.S. B 2 pages
      • Ida Compton to Barnaby Conrad.
        • 8 Nov. 1977 T.L. carbon 2 pages
        • ? Mar. 1978 T.L. carbon 2 pages
    5. Seymour Krawitz, et. al., re staging of Strangers.
      • Ida Compton to John Corry, New York Times:
        • 12 May 1978 T.L. carbon 1 page with clipping, 28 April 1978.
      • Seymour Krawitz to Ida Compton:
        • 23 June 1978 T.L. carbon 1 page
      • Ida Compton to Seymour Krawitz:
        • 2 July 1978 T.L. carbon 1 page
        • 10 Aug. 1978 T.L. carbon 1 page
    6. Sylvia Richmond.
      • ? Oct. 1948 A.L.S. Sylvia 2 pages
      • Includes clipping from Chelsea Record, 2 Oct. 1948, interview with S. Lewis.
    7. Grace Hegger Casanova.
      • 15 July 1953 T.L.S. 1 page
    8. Mrs. Gerald D. Shively, Secretary, Sinclair Lewis - Main Street Committee, Sauk Centre, Minnesota.
      • 2 Feb. 1960 T.L.S. 1 page
    9. Ida Kay to Richard R. Lingamon, New York Times.
      • ? Feb. 1978 carbon 2 pages
  10. Clippings, 1948-1985.
    • Primarily on Sinclair Lewis. Two on Ida Compton.
  11. Continuation of Folder 10.
    AUDIORECORDINGS
  12. Opera Victory Rally, 16 Dec. 1944.
    • Two 12" phonodiscs, 3 sides.
    • Address by Sinclair Lewis.
  13. Sinclair Lewis American Playhouse, World Broadcasting System, 1944.
    • One 16" disc, 2 sides.
    • Severely cracked.
  14. Reel-reel tape and two cassette tapes of contents of folders 12 and 13.

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